


We're Not Just Friends

by frizz22



Category: Bull (TV 2016)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, One Shot
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-15
Updated: 2018-12-28
Packaged: 2019-03-05 00:48:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 17,871
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13376583
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/frizz22/pseuds/frizz22
Summary: Bunch of one-shots for one of my favorite OTPs. Includes scenes from some episodes, but mostly random little ficlets. Don't worry, no slow burns





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Characters do not belong to me and neither does any dialogue that I borrow from the episodes.

Prompt: Snowed/iced in at the office 

They were working late again, prepping everything for court the next day. The rest of the team had gone home hours before, the winter weather scaring them enough to listen to Bull’s instructions to leave. 

Marissa had left the table they were working at to get something to drink. That was 10 minutes ago, Bull looked up to determine where she’d gone. She wouldn’t have left without saying goodbye and he thought it highly unlikely that she’d simply gone to lie down one of the cots to catch a quick nap. 

Standing and stretching, Bull went to find her. She wasn’t in the kitchen, her office, the mock court room. He finally found her standing in front of one of their large windows, steaming mug in hand. He smiled and simply watched her for a moment. She hadn’t bothered to turn the light on, probably so that she could better watch the snow swirling outside. A small smile was on her face, which was upturned slightly to better see the flakes fall. Bull couldn’t help but think how beautiful she looked, the light from the moon and snow lightened sky highlighting her silhouette. 

“Mariss?” He called out softly, not wanting to startle her. Marissa glanced over her shoulder at him and her smile widened. She beckoned him towards her with a nod of her head and then turned back to the window. Bull approached her, stopping right behind her so that barely an inch separated them. “And what are we watching?” He asked, leaning in to pose his question quietly into her ear, his breath stirring some a few strands of her hair. 

“Well, I thought that would be obvious.” She teased, tilting her head slightly to catch a glimpse of him in the corner of her eye. “I always loved the snow. It’s so beautiful when it’s falling, before it’s disturbed by all the cars and foot traffic and turns to slush. I just wanted to see some of that before it changes by rush hour tomorrow.” 

Bull hummed in agreement and then reached around her and snagged the mug from her hand. “Jason” she half-heartedly scolded, as he took a sip. He chuckled and licked some of the remaining chocolate off his lips before returning the mug to her, their fingers brushing. The two continued their silent watch of the snow for several more minutes, both acutely aware of how close they were standing, but unwilling to move away. 

They’d had moments like this before…where the tension between them was almost too much. Bull wasn’t sure when their friendship began shifting, when he started seeing Marissa as far more than just his best friend. He knew she felt it too, but something always got in the way, a case, a team member, something that prevented either of them from acting on it. 

Bull internally groaned when his phone beeped in his pocket. Frowning, he pulled it out, wondering who he’d have to murder for contacting him after 11pm and interrupting another moment. It was a weather alert, category 3, the snow wasn’t bad but the ice on the roads made it so that nobody except emergency responders should be out until conditions improved and more salt could be laid. 

Placing one hand on Marissa’s hip, he wrapped his other arm around her to show her the message. Marissa reached up and held his hand to steady the phone. 

“Hmmph, well, looks like we’re spending the night here then.” She observed, turning to face Bull but not increasing the distance between them. Her heart sped up at their proximity, which had already been wreaking havoc on her system, but seemed so much more intimate now that they were face-to-face. 

Bull smiled down at her, slipped his phone back into his pocket and placed his other hand on her hip as well. “I could think of worse ways to spend the night” he murmured quietly. 

“Really?” She intoned, her gaze flitting to his lips and back to his eyes. “The warning will probably last til late tomorrow morning…the rest of the team won’t be in right away.” Bull hummed in agreement, tracing small circles her hip with his thumb, his mind far too occupied with all of things they could do with that uninterrupted time to form a response. 

Marissa took a step back, causing Bull to furrow his brow in confusion and drop his hands…unsure of how he could have misread all the signs. She smiled softly at him, and placed her mug down on the previously out of reach filing cabinet. She then immediately stepped back into him, her hands ghosting up his chest to rest on his shoulders, “Jason,” she breathed. 

Bull’s hands flew back to her hips, tugging her closer so that there was no space remaining between them. “Mariss…” he responded affectionately. He then wasted no time in leaning down and kissing her, too much time had already been wasted. Their first kiss was tentative, both knowing the other wanted it, but suddenly shy on how to proceed. 

As they drew apart, they chuckled, Marissa resting her forehead on Bull’s collarbone. “You’d think we never kissed anyone before,” Marissa joked, as Bull trailed his fingers up her spine while the other remained firmly attached to her hip. 

“Hmm, well, not someone I cared about so much anyway” Bull mumbled into her hair. “And certainly not at work” he added glancing around them. 

“I have an idea,” Marissa stated, pulling away from him reluctantly, but taking his hand and leading him to his office. It was homier, not as utilitarian as the rest of the office and the couch was certainly one of her reasons for picking this room… as was the locking door. 

Bull seemed to have read her mind and as she closed the door behind them, he grinned mischievously. “Think I’m that easy, huh?” He teased, stepping forward. Marissa went to backtrack, eyes widening as she went to reopen the door. Bull chuckled and firmly closed it again and flipped the lock, trapping Marissa between him and the door. “Good,” he said, dropping a quick peck on her lips. “That saves us some time.” He finished, before diving in for a proper kiss. 

Marissa gasped as Bull pressed her against the door, his hands weaving into her hair, mouth insistent on hers. She responded in kind, one arm wrapping underneath his to grip his shoulder, the other tugging the back of his shirt up and slipping under to touch the warm skin of his lower back. Bull growled at the contact and his tongue licked the seam of her lips, seeking permission, which Marissa eagerly granted; tilting her head as well to deepen the kiss further. As they explored one another’s mouth, Bull removed one hand from her hair and slid it down Marissa’s side, in attempt to hoist one of her legs around him. 

Grunting in displeasure, he broke the kiss. Breathing heavily, Bull rested his forehead to Marissa’s. “You know I really love the dresses you wear, right?” He questioned, pulling back just enough to meet her eyes. 

“I had an inkling” Marissa quipped, slightly breathless, hands coming back to his chest and playing with the buttons on his shirt. “You’re not as subtle as you think you are” she added, quirking an eyebrow at him and undoing several more buttons. 

“Well, I’m not so fond of them right now” he admitted, moving to lift her leg again but was inhibited by the tight skirt. A laugh burst from Marissa’s lips and her head fell back to thump against the door lightly in her mirth. “What?” Bull inquired grumpily. 

“Oh, Jason” she chuckled, “you just looked so petulant.” Unable to think of a retaliation, he opted to cut off her laugh with a long, deep kiss. When they resurfaced, Marissa murmured to him “I have a solution.” Bull hummed in response before planting small, brief pecks along her jaw and down her neck before moving back up to suck gently just under her jaw. Marissa inhaled sharply and immediately let her head fall to the side to grant him better access; one hand coming up to grip the short hairs on the back of his head. 

Too soon, Bull stopped and made his way back to her mouth, asking “so, what was your solution?” Marissa blinked up at him, more than a little distracted. “To the dress problem” he elaborated, hands roving over the offending piece of clothing. 

“Oh, right” Marissa shook her head causing Bull to give a low chuckle. Marissa made a quick face at him before pressing forward. Bull stumbled back, confused until the backs of his knees hit the couch and he sat abruptly. Staring at the woman in front of him, Bull couldn’t believe his luck. 

“I’ve wanted this for a long time,” he confessed, hoping that she knew what he meant, not just a physical relationship—something more. His eyes widened as Marissa kicked off her heels and rucked up her dress just enough so that when she approached him she could straddle his lap. 

Marissa beamed at him in return, and from her position on his lap pressed a brief kiss to his lips. “Me too” she whispered, her hands running through his hair. 

“Mariss,” he murmured, hands gliding up her legs to rest on her thighs. Her lips curled up once more, and she leaned in and kissed him. Slowly this time, but no less passionate than the fervent ones they’d shared pressed against the door. 

Bull groaned deep in his throat, and pulled Marissa further into him, relishing at the contact. His heart nearly stopped when she lowered herself fully onto his lap and started to grind. With difficulty, Bull severed their lips, almost losing his resolve at the sound of disappointment that escaped Marissa. “Mariss,” he tried, but was cut off by his own sharp exhale. Seeming to know he wouldn’t stop talking, Marissa hadn’t gone to recapture his mouth, instead she nipped lightly along his neck, then soothed the skin with quick laps of her tongue. Bull moaned and unwittingly pulled her tighter against him so that he could better grind his hips into hers. 

Slowly coming back to his senses, Bull interrupted them. “Wait, no, Marissa” he attempted again, gently—and more than a little reluctantly—holding Marissa away at arm’s length. Shit, he thought, she was so gorgeous. Always had been, but right now with her tousled hair, kiss-swollen lips and dilated pupils, god she was perfection. Still, he steeled himself against this and her apparent confusion at his actions and continued. “Marissa, I have wanted this for a long time.” 

“Yes, so you mentioned before…” she replied hesitantly, brows furrowed. 

“But I also don’t want you to feel as though we have to move this fast, we can…” he gulped, trying to prepare himself for the possibility that she would leave his lap, go to the break room and he’d have to take care of himself. “We can take it slow, if you want. We can take our time” he broke off when Marissa’s head dropped forward and she tried to smother her giggles. “What?” He asked defensively, he was just being a gentleman. 

“Jason” she breathed, “isn’t almost 7 years enough time?” Her eyes glittered with amusement, but her hand came up to cup his cheek sweetly. “But, if you want to take it more slowly,” she began to move as if to get up. “I won’t besmirch your honor.” 

Growling he yanked her fully back into his lap and kissed her hotly. Marissa then yelped as he wrapped his arms around her and rapidly shifted their position. So that they were now lying flat on the couch with him happily situated between her legs. He mumbled something along the lines of “I’ll show you honor” before capturing her mouth in another searing kiss as his hand slid her dress up further. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Marissa woke up slowly, but completely content. She and Bull were crammed together on his couch, she was lying more on him than the cushions. But she couldn’t have been happier and didn’t even consider moving. She stretched slightly against him, and propped her chin up on his chest to get a look at him. His eyes were closed, but he smiled widely when he felt her eyes on him. 

“Good morning,” she murmured, pressing a short kiss to his bare chest. Bull brought one hand to rest behind his head to see her better and began tracing lazy patterns on her back with the one that had been wrapped around her. 

“Oh, better than good, I hope,” he teased, opening his eyes and taking in the woman in front of him. “I think it could be deemed, the best morning. Seeing as how I got to wake up with you in my arms.” He added, smiling broadly. 

Blushing, Marissa shook her head, and was about to brush away the flirtatious comment with a joke as usual when she realized…she didn’t have to, not anymore. “The best morning it is then, because we’re together” she amended, inching up to give him a brisk, close-lipped kiss. She then lowered herself back down and snuggled into him, enjoying the feel of him next to her. Marissa suddenly turned to him, “the team?” she questioned, slightly alarmed at being found naked with Jason on the couch in his office. 

“Roads are better, but they won’t be in til 10 just to be safe.” He replied soothingly, hand still tracing along her back. “Don’t worry, we’ve got another 2 hours.” He kissed the top of her head. 

Marissa smiled and relaxed against him once more, cheek resting on his chest and arm hugging his waist. They laid there for another 5 minutes in delighted silence, when Marissa stiffened. She’d been pleasantly focusing on the feel of Jason’s fingers along her back when she’d discerned what he was doing. He was writing. Not just writing, but writing the same words over and over again; ‘I love you.’ 

Bull noticed the change in her demeanor and his hand froze and flattened on her back comfortingly. “Mariss? What’s the matter?” He inquired, his heart twisting painfully, maybe she’d changed her mind. Been left to think about it too much and talked herself out of what they were doing. He removed the hand from behind his head and tipped her chin up to meet his gaze; fully prepared to convince her that what they were doing was right, felt more right than any relationship he’d ever had. Hell, he’d just been writing ‘I love you’ on her back—afraid that it was too soon to admit it out loud but unable to help himself. Her expression stopped him though, her eyes were shining with unshed tears, but the smile upon her face was brilliant. “Mariss?” He said again, even more baffled, slipping his hand from her chin to caress her cheek. 

“l…” she swallowed thickly. “Jason, I, I love you too.” She confessed softly, watching him carefully. Scared that she’d misinterpreted his tracings, scared that she’d said it too soon; but at the same time, she knew it was the truth. She was in love with him, had been for who knows how long before they’d decided to act on their feelings. Marissa only had a moment to think all of this before the biggest smile she’d ever seen bloomed on Bull’s face. 

“You love me?” He paused for a moment and when Marissa nodded he smiled expanded impossibly further. “You love me!” He crowed gleefully. Bull suddenly rolled over, trapping her beneath him as he peppered kisses on her face and neck with an ‘I love you’ muttered between each kiss. 

Marissa laughed and wrapped her legs around him and pulled him closer. Her hands coming up to frame his face and hold him still. “Jason Bull,” she began, trying to keep a straight face but losing the battle to her wide grin. “I love you. I love you so much.” She finished by kissing him sweetly. 

“I love you more Marissa Morgan” he countered, chuckling and nuzzling her neck. 

Breathless, she laughed, “Oh, I don’t know about that.” 

Bull hummed, and pulled away from her slightly. “I’ll just have to prove it to you then.” He cocked an eyebrow at her playfully. Before she could respond Bull kissed her again and they completely abandoned their conversation. 

~~~~~~~~~ 

They’d decided to tell the team right away. Neither thought they could hide their feelings any longer and everyone was at least partially adept at reading people—it came with the job—so why hide it? 

The two were composed and ready to work, waiting by the main screens when everyone else arrived. Bull gathered the team and said they wanted to make an announcement. He wrapped an arm around Marissa’s waist and before he was able to say anything Cable and Danny whooped in excitement and Chunk and Benny started clapping. 

Chuckling, Marissa ducked her head briefly before looking at them all. “We haven’t even said anything yet” she smiled. 

“You didn’t have to” Chunk commented, getting up and giving Marissa a hug and clapping Bull on the shoulder. 

“Yeah, aren’t you two already married?” Cable asked dryly, though she’d bounced up and hugged them both at the same time. 

As Benny and Danny congratulated them as well, Bull shook his head and stated, “alright, alright. Back to work everyone, nothing is going to change.” Though switching back to being the boss, he grinned at them all. Unable to help himself, he gave Marissa a chaste kiss before going to his office to grab a few papers before they started in on the case. Okay, so maybe a few things would change…but for once he was happy and excited for change.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Actually saw this prompt on tumblr and couldn't help myself. Credit for idea goes to invinci-bull (sorry if I'm not crediting this properly!) 
> 
> Some bad language
> 
> ***Mild Spoilers***
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> Marissa is getting married to Kyle and Bull objects. Ignores season 2 thanksgiving episode and everything after, because I don't think Marissa would marry a shady asshole.

**"I object"**

Bull couldn’t help but think back to the conversation he’d had with Marissa when she’d first started dating Kyle. How, when he’d asked when he’d meet the man who’d managed to sweep her off her feet, Marissa had given him a smile and dismissively responded. _“Let’s just see if it lasts the weekend before we plan the wedding.”_

He never thought they would actually reach that point…. planning a wedding. On more than one occasion, Bull had turned to Marissa, burning to tell her that it was a mistake. That she was marrying the wrong man… that she should be with him instead. The psychologist in him would probably say something clever about this sudden realization. That his epiphany that he loved his best friend was tied to the fact that she was no longer available. That he’d lost her in a way that he’d never even had her, so it really shouldn’t feel as though there was a gaping hole in his chest. 

So yes, on multiple occasions he’d gone to tell her the truth that was gnawing him from the inside-out. But then, then he’d catch a glimpse of her brilliant smile, not just the close-lipped ones she so often handed out. But a full-blown, teeth showing, eyes crinkling and shining, smile that was making its way to her face more and more. And it would be like a gut-punch, a much needed wake-up call. How could he consider, even for a second, taking that away from her? Consider marring that happiness and their friendship with a proclamation of unrequited love. No, each time the words bubbled up his throat he reminded himself that he’d never seen her this happy and he would not be responsible for taking that away from her. He was also being selfish, in a way, because while he loved Marissa, Bull didn’t want to imagine what life and work would be like if he ruined their friendship. If he lost her in every sense. 

And that was how he’d found himself here. At the wedding ceremony, sitting stiff as a board and trying to keep his facial expressions neutral. It was a small service at the courthouse, Marissa hadn’t wanted a big white wedding—she’d already had one and look at how that ended. Judge Lamkin was presiding over the event, and Bull thought she might have thrown Bull some pointed glares. But he was too lost in his own thoughts and inner turmoil to decipher what those might mean. 

His inner musings were interrupted though, by Marissa’s mother sitting next to him on the bench. She reached over and took his clenched fist between her hands and soothed the tense muscles with practiced ease. “Abigail,” he greeted as warmly as he could, squeezing her hand. He really did like Marissa’s mother. It wasn’t her fault he was an idiot and didn’t realize his feelings for her daughter until it was too late. 

“Jason,” she returned and leaned closer into him to murmur. “You know, if someone had asked me who would be the one to convince my Marissa to get married again, I would have said you.” She said this casually, looking at the front of the small room, as if she was commenting on the paint choice. 

Bull sputtered and turned to her wide-eyed. Abigail tutted, and shook her head minutely at his reaction. “Don’t you look at me like that Jason Bull. If either one of you had bothered to take your head out of your ass for even a moment we would be here under very different circumstances today.” She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye and cocked an eyebrow. 

“Marissa is happy. I’m happy that she’s happy” he replied mechanically, it had been his mantra for some time now. He slowly withdrew his hand from the woman’s grasp, careful to control his actions despite his raging emotions. 

Abigail scoffed lightly and retorted, “oh, but you both could be **so** much happier.” She gave Bull one last appraising look, patted his shoulder and headed back to where her husband and daughter were out of sight in the other room, waiting for the ceremony to begin. 

Bull sat there, dumbfounded, with his mouth opening and closing like a fish when the rest of the team filed in and sat with him. Benny and Chunk exchanged look and then turned back to Bull. “You alright?” Benny asked, leaning forward so he could see his boss around Chunk. Bull started, as if he had just noticed they were there and nodded vaguely before shifting to face the front. 

Only, he instantly regretted changing the direction he faced. Because Kyle had just appeared at the front of the room and was waiting, hands clasped, for Marissa to marry him. The man bounced on his toes and scanned the room. When he made eye contact with Bull, he grinned and flashed him a thumbs up. Bull couldn’t help the description, _‘self-satisfied turd’_ from flitting through his mind again as he turned away from Kyle without acknowledging the gestures. 

Then the music started, a soft piano melody that Bull couldn’t place but that he instantly associated with Marissa. Everyone spun to witness the bride enter the room, a parent on each arm. Bull gulped and gripped the back of the bench tightly when he saw Marissa. She’d forgone the traditional wedding dress just as she had the traditional ceremony. Instead she wore a simple, yet elegant cream-colored, calf-length dress with lace patterns. Her hair fell in soft curls, brushing along her shoulders, half of it up in a twist. She was wearing her favorite shade of red lipstick, and when her gaze met Bull’s he felt like his heart stopped. Despite the situation, Bull couldn’t help the smile that formed on his face in response to hers; god she was beautiful. 

Then his eyes met Abigail’s over Marissa’s shoulder. She inclined her head knowingly, looked pointedly between her daughter and Bull and raised her eyebrows. Bull’s hands began to sweat. What if Abigail was telling the truth? She wouldn’t have thought of him as a potential son-in-law if Marissa hadn’t mentioned she had feelings for him, right? Her mother wouldn’t risk Marissa’s happiness over something that wasn’t concrete. Wouldn’t hurt Marissa by suggesting to her boss that he should be the one standing at the altar to marry Marissa instead. Maybe, just maybe his feelings weren’t as unrequited as he thought. But was it too late to do something? Not according to Abigail if the conversation she’d had with him and the looks she was shooting him meant what he thought they did. 

When was the proper time to interrupt your best friend’s wedding though? In the movies it was always during the part of the sermon when the officiator declared, ‘speak now or forever hold your peace.’ Was that even something that was included in real life? It had to be close to the end, right? So, he should wait for that. But what if it wasn’t at the end, what if Lamkin didn’t include that part at all and he missed his final chance to tell Marissa how he felt. 

Bull jerked his head up, realizing that while he was debating with himself the proceedings had begun, and he very well could have missed the ‘speak now’ portion. Panicking slightly, Bull wiped his sweaty palms on his knees and shifted nervously in his seat. He couldn’t count on a scripted part of the ceremony to ask him to intervene. For all he knew the asshat Kyle might have asked Lamkin to skip that part, so no one could interrupt. 

Summoning courage that he didn’t think he had, Bull abruptly stood up. Swallowing hard, he cleared his throat, hands shaking. Marissa caught the sudden movement from the corner of her eye and glanced at him. He must have been pale and he knew he was visibly shaking, because Marissa’s face flooded with concern and she pivoted to face him fully. 

“Jason?” She inquired quietly, reaching for him. His heart stuttered, because here he was about to burn it all down and she was worried about him. Marissa truly had the biggest heart of anyone he knew, so maybe she would be able to forgive him for what he was about to do. 

“I,” He paused and licked his lips nervously. “I object.” He managed in a surprisingly steady and loud voice, focused solely Marissa even when gasps and murmurs broke out among the other attendants. Her eyes widened, and her mouth fell open a bit, but he could have sworn one side had started to curl up when Kyle burst in. 

“Wait, what?! No. No, you don’t get to do this!” Kyle fumed, as he began to advance on Bull. He only stopped when Marissa’s hand shot out and gripped his arm. Kyle turned and looked at her, perplexed. But her eyes were still locked with Bull’s. 

“Jason?” She repeated, taking a step closer and searching his face for more, her eyes shining. 

“Marissa,” Kyle protested, but she waved him off and continued to look at Bull. 

Too late to stop now, besides he was encouraged by Marissa’s response. Taking a deep breath, and stepping into the aisle, Bull plunged ahead. “I love you, Marissa. I love you so much and I have for a long time. I’m an idiot for not realizing it sooner. For not telling you that you’re my person. My rock. The one person in this world that I am always excited to see. For not telling you every day how incredibly important you are to me. And I’m an ass for bringing all this up now, but I couldn’t… I couldn’t miss my last chance to tell you everything. I couldn’t let you marry him, not when… not when there might be even the tiniest possibility that you feel the same way for me.” As Bull spoke, he’d drawn closer and closer to Marissa, unable to keep away any longer. 

Her expression had softened, and a smile was blooming across her lips when Bull finished; a smile that was even bigger than the ones she’d sported during the wedding planning. Though he tried to rein his emotions in, Bull couldn’t help the hopeful swoop of his insides at her reaction. 

“I do” she murmured, causing both Kyle and Bull to look at her in confusion. A flush crept up her neck and cheeks, she ducked her head before looking at Bull again. “I do feel the same way, Jason.” She clarified, louder this time, with more conviction. “I love you too!” With this admission, she released Kyle’s arm, strode forward and pulled Bull’s mouth to hers for a crushing kiss. 

When they broke apart, it was to the whoops and applause of the team, Marissa’s parents and even Judge Lamkin. Marissa bit her lower lip, but couldn’t tame the wild smile spreading across her face. Bull laughed and hugged Marissa tighter to him, reluctant to ever let her go now that they were finally together as they should be. 

“Are you fucking kidding me?!” Kyle spat out, his face a dangerous shade of red as he stalked towards the two. 

“Oh, Kyle” Marissa began, grimacing and detaching herself from Bull to intercept the man. She hadn’t meant to hurt him, but she’d long ago accepted that her romantic feelings for Bull were unreciprocated. But to find out that they weren’t and still marry Kyle? She couldn’t do that to herself, to Kyle. “I am so sorry. I never meant for this, to hurt you” she implored, stretching her hand forward to soothe him. Because while she did love Jason, loved him more than she could describe, a part of her did love Kyle as well—she wouldn’t have agreed to marry him if she hadn’t. 

Kyle continued his approach, expression dark when the entire team stood up as one and turned towards him, Danny and Chunk even going as far as to step out into the aisles. At the sudden movement, and now facing down a group of four which included a former FBI agent and football player, Kyle slowed and then stopped, face wary. 

“I’d think about my next actions very carefully, if I were you.” Chunk supplied, sizing the almost-groom up. He sympathized with Kyle, the man had just been left at the altar, but this was Bull and Marissa. The two love-struck idiots who’d been dancing around one another for years; like hell was he going to let anything interrupt this momentous admission from the both of them. 

Marissa appeared as though she was going to try and placate Kyle further when Bull slid his hand into hers, intertwining their fingers. He gestured towards the door with a jerk of his head, a wicked grin making its way across his lips. Bull began to move, pulling Marissa along with him until they were both hurrying out of the room, ignoring any and everything else around them. 

They made it as far as the stairwell before Marissa yanked Bull to a stop and pressed him against the wall, her lips capturing his in a kiss made clumsy by her inability to stop smiling. Bull beamed at her in return, caressing her cheek softly. 

They had a lot to make up for…. Luckily, they had all the time in the world to do it.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Established relationship. Bull and Marissa come up with a more entertaining way to review applications for their expanding team.

TAC had been operating for almost two years, and already they were expanding and in desperate need of more help. But wading through the countless applications, cover letters and recommendations quickly became tiresome…so they’d created a game. It was a simplified version of strip poker combined with the card game war. As they read through the applications, they could set aside the ones they thought were the worst. Whether this was because of grammatical errors, mentions of other companies instead of TAC, whatever. Once they each had one they had to swap and decide which application was the worst of the two options. The person who had picked the worst application won, and the loser had to strip a piece of clothing. 

They’d been reviewing files for the new computer specialist position for almost an hour, sprawled on the couch in Bull’s office, their feet playfully bumping. 

“Oho! I’ve got a winner!” Bull exclaimed, waving the paper in Marissa’s direction. 

Chuckling, Marissa cocked an eyebrow at him. “You’ve said that the past three times,” she stated, giving him a once over to emphasize her point. He was down to just his pants, while Marissa had only discarded her shoes and stockings. 

“Well, you’re somehow rigging the system. No way you normally would have won so many times in a row.” Bull muttered before confidently proclaiming, “but trust me, you can’t beat this one.” 

Marissa hummed in response and handed over the resume she’d set aside for their next ‘duel’ sure that she’d have Jason down to his boxers in a matter of moments. But the moment she started to read through the application that he’d selected, Marissa knew he had won. She glanced up and realized that he wasn’t even looking at her pick. Bull was just gazing at her expectantly, a shit-eating grin on his face. 

“They spelled Trial Analysis Corporation wrong three times. In three different ways” she noted in astonishment. 

“I know,” Bull replied smugly. 

“In the first paragraph alone,” she continued, scanning the rest of the cover letter and spotting multiple grammatical mistakes. 

“I know.” Bull beamed and waggled his eyebrows at her. “Time to lose that blouse, my dear.” 

Letting out an exaggerated sigh, Marissa slowly unbuttoned her blouse, making a bit of a show of it by biting her lower lip slightly and maintaining eye contact with Bull as she did so. Once she finished, Marissa dropped the shirt neatly on the ground by the couch and reached for another file. She was part way through the next application, which was very promising when she realized that Bull hadn’t budged. When she finally looked up, she couldn’t help the wicked grin that made its way to her lips. He was staring at her, and when they made eye contact once more, Bull licked his lips. 

“You cheater.” He managed, his eyes drifting back to her chest. 

Scoffing lightly, Marissa retorted, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” She then turned her attention back to the file in her hands, she really liked this applicant. 

Not backing down, Bull elaborated, “you know what that bra does to me. You wore it on purpose today to get the upper hand.” He placed a hand on the file in Marissa’s hands and forced her to lower it and look at him. 

“What? This old thing?” She questioned innocently, plucking at the deep purple strap of her lacy bra. Before Bull could respond though, she continued. “What about this candidate for our computer specialist?” 

Bull didn’t acknowledge the folder in her hands, his eyes were busy undressing her further. 

“I can’t do it all, Jason.” Marissa remarked, thinking her plan may have backfired if she couldn’t get him to concentrate long enough. “There is simply too much online work to do now for me to handle that, making and prepping the mock jury and creating and monitoring my algorithms,” she pressed the documents into Bull’s hands, forcing him to focus. 

Snapping back to their initial task, Bull snatched the application and glanced it over. “Mariss, I know you can’t do it all, but this one?” He remarked skeptically, holding up the resume. “They’re self-taught, no formal higher education. And what kind of name is Cable?” 

“A unique one? If not fitting.” Marissa supplied nonchalantly, raising her arms over her head and stretching. 

“That’s not fair,” Bull grumbled, though his mouth had gone dry just watching her. “You’re cheating.” There wasn’t any heat behind his accusation though, in fact, he started undressing further; tugging his belt off, eyes still glued to Marissa. 

“Just let me interview this Cable and get a sense of what they know and can do. Self-taught normally means hacker. And a hacker could be very useful, especially with what we do.” While she spoke, Marissa had begun to draw the zipper of her skirt down. 

“Yeah, okay. Interview whoever you want. We’re done for the night.” Bull replied, pupils dilated as his eyes followed the zipper inch down. 

Marissa chuckled lowly, “you sure?” She asked, lifting her hips to slide her skirt off smoothly before letting it fall to the floor, revealing the matching panties. Bull didn’t bother to reply, he simply pushed the remaining files off the couch and pressed Marissa back into the cushions with a searing kiss. When they finally broke for air, Marissa murmured, “we should review applications more often.” 

Bull chuckled and began to kiss his way down her body, he paused right as he reached the edge of her underwear; drawing a groan of protest from Marissa. “Only if it ends like this every time.” He smirked before eagerly returning to his task.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This prompt came from Queen of Chaos, thanks for the inspiration! 
> 
> Bull and Diana break up and Marissa confronts Diana about letting Bull go.

They’d concluded the Clayton case, convicted the ‘grieving’ widow for the murder of her rich husband. Bull should have felt happier, not only had they won but they’d also received a huge payday from the client. He just couldn’t muster up the feeling though, perhaps it had something to do with Diana. Bull was headed to see her at her hotel now, and while she’d been gracious in her loss (difficult not to be, given the evidence) he couldn’t forget how the case had started. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

_How he’d gone to visit Diana and when they’d laid in bed after she’d asked him to work a case with her. At first Bull had be thrilled at the possibility, a chance to work with Diana instead of against her. A chance to finally show her everything that TAC was and all it could do—he was excited to show off his team and their work. But then Diana had continued, explaining who her client was and what she was being charged with. Bull grimaced and ran a hand over his face, “Diana, I can’t.” He began. But before he could get any further, she interrupted him._

_“Yes, you can, you just have to want to. You just have to go into TAC and clear up your schedule. Because this is more important. I’m more important.” She concluded, laying it on thick._

_Feeling slightly guilty, Bull cut in. “I’ve already signed with the other side,” he explained, and Diana stiffened against him, though her facial expression remained neutral. “I’m working for the Clayton estate.”_

_“Quit.” She declared, as if there was nothing to it, as if TAC hadn’t already deposited the quarter million-dollar retainer fee the client had offered._

_“I can’t” Bull exclaimed, baffled that she’d even make the suggestion. Diana simply quirked an eyebrow, so he continued. “Even if I wanted to, I can’t switch sides. It’s a violation of professional ethics, you know that.” He paused for a moment and when she remained silent, added, “I’m sorry.”_

_Diana immediately disengaged. Face stony, she rolled away so that her back was to him. Bull was dumbstruck, she was being childish; as if someone else had claimed the toy she had wanted and wouldn’t share. Exhaling sharply, Bull sat up and began getting dressed, knowing there was no talking to her once she was this mad._

_“Will I see you again? While you’re still in town?” He questioned, attempting to wave a proverbial white flag, against his better instincts._

_“Absolutely,” Diana responded, “in court.”_

_Shaking his head in slight frustration, Bull tried once more. “I really am sorry.” He delivered this to Diana’s back, she was still refusing to look at him._

_“Then quit.” Came her clipped response. Bull frowned, collected the rest of his things and left the room, letting the door shut with a soft click behind him._

~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Now here he was, outside her hotel room, hand poised to knock, and he was hesitating. It was illogical to be worried about seeing her again. He had done what was professionally ethical to begin with and the results spoke for themselves. So, if all the facts were on his side, why did he feel like this? Maybe it was because Diana had asked him to compromise his morals, had ignored his calls when he was trying to negotiate a deal, or maybe it was something else altogether that he couldn’t pinpoint at the moment. Shaking himself, Bull knocked loudly three times and waited. Diana invited him in with a smile and handed him an already prepared drink. While they were supposed to be enjoying the drinks and each other’s company, all Bull felt was empty. Forcing a smile, he lifted his drink towards Diana as the conversation, unsurprisingly, turned towards the case. 

“Well if your glorified blonde secretary hadn’t found out that the gun didn’t have prints.” Diana began a statement that sounded curiously similar to a villain from Scooby Doo; _“I would’ve gotten away with it too if it wasn’t for you meddling kids.”_ Bull would have laughed and pointed this out, had the meaning of her words not sunk in. 

“First of all, it was my investigator Danny, the former FBI agent, who discovered your client was a killer.” Bull corrected, setting his drink down with a definitive clank on the desk he was leaning against, anger quickly filling the emptiness he’d been experiencing before. “And secondly, you damn well better not be referring to Marissa as a glorified secretary.” He finally looked at Diana, his eyes and insides blazing at her comment. 

Diana simply cocked her head at Bull from where she was reclined on the bed before taking a long sip of her drink. “And if I am” she retorted, her jaw jutting to the side. “I hear how you talk to her, she arranges meetings and cars for you. Isn’t that what a secretary does?” She raised an eyebrow in a challenge and knocked back the rest of her drink, the ice cubes clinking against the glass. 

“That’s because I just fired the temp for forgetting to, you know what it doesn’t matter!” Bull interrupted his explanation, because he sure as hell didn’t have to defend his relationship with Marissa to Diana. “It doesn’t matter what my arrangement with Marissa is when we lose a temp. What matters is that she keeps that place running by taking on who knows how many responsibilities every single day that I am not aware of. What matters is that she is my best friend and partner and one of the smartest people that I know. And she’s important to me, incredibly important. So, if we’re going to have any sort of a relationship you don’t have to like her, but you damn well better respect her.” Bull was seething by the end of his speech, chest heaving slightly. It wasn’t that Diana had called Marissa a secretary—that job wasn’t an easy one, especially for him, which is why they kept going through temps. It was the tone Diana had used, and how she had called Marissa ‘glorified’. It had struck a particular chord with Bull, because he knew he didn’t value Marissa enough, was actually working on remedying that; so, the suggestion that she was overvalued infuriated him. 

Diana stared at him for a moment, before her mouth dropped open slightly in shock. “You love her.” She murmured in amazement, stunned that she hadn’t realized it before that moment. Diana turned her head, glad that she could blame the alcohol for the heat rising to her cheeks as all the pieces fell into place. The soft, affectionate smiles that graced his face whenever Marissa spoke in his ear—she’d never had that kind of smile directed at her. How the one time she’d dropped by TAC during the case the two of them had just exited his office, Bull’s hand on Marissa’s lower back and when they stopped in front of the screens they’d stood close enough for their elbows to brush. And the part that made it hurt a little more, was that none of it was intentional. Diana knew Bull would never cheat, he was just that comfortable with the woman, that close to her. And now, reflecting on almost every story that Bull had ever recounted during their relationship, whether it was work related or not, Marissa always had a starring role in the tale. 

“What?” Bull leaned in closer, not quite sure that he had heard what Diana had said properly. 

All the animosity drained out of Diana at this realization, no wonder they were always at odds. It wasn’t just their head-strong personalities, it was also because he was in love with Marissa. Running a hand over her face, Diana forced herself to meet Bull’s eyes. “You. Love. Her.” She repeated, slowly and loudly this time, she wasn’t going to let this man make her say it more than necessary…. she also wasn’t going to let him deny it any longer. There was enough between them that she felt obligated to push him in the right direction, just because she couldn’t have him didn’t mean the woman he truly loved shouldn’t. 

Bull shook his head, “I don’t,” he began, but Diana cut him off. 

“You do. Did you not just listen to yourself? You all but shouted from the rooftops how wonderful this woman is and you defended her honor.” Diana chuckled at the ridiculous, but accurate, description of what Bull had just done. “Jason,” her voice softened, and she stood from the bed and put her hands on his shoulders. “I want you to look me in the eye and tell me, truly and honestly tell me, that you have only platonic feelings for Marissa.” Diana waited a moment, then tilted her head at him and teasingly hummed the Jeopardy theme song. 

“I’m thinking!” Bull exclaimed, pushing off the desk and pacing across the room, spearing his hands through his hair. 

Smirking, Diana picked up the drink he’d discarded and twirled the liquid inside the glass. “If the automatic answer isn’t that you only have platonic feelings, if you have to think about it, then there is definitely more there.” Diana noted, taking a sip. “And I thought you were the psychologist here.” 

“Diana, I” Bull turned to face her, and his expression told her everything she needed to know. 

“I know, Bull.” Diana didn’t want him to finish, she was trying to be civil about this whole revelation, be the bigger woman. But if Bull made her listen to some spiel about how he did have feelings for her at some point and he never meant to hurt her… well, she might find herself in a less accommodating mood. “Just do me favor,” she adopted her deep southern accent once more, “tell Marissa.” Bull looked as though he might argue, that while he may love her, that didn’t mean Marissa loved him. Unwilling to discuss the matter further, however, Diana interrupted him once more. “Now if you don’t mind, I have a loss to celebrate.” She lifted the bottle in mock toast and filled up the glass in her hand. 

Bull nodded solemnly, gathered his coat from the chair, dropped a kiss on top of Diana’s head and left the room; his feelings and thoughts even more jumbled than when he arrived. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Not wanting to go home, Bull headed back to the office, knowing he could find a good bottle of scotch there to drink and think his way through this new dilemma. However, when he reached the office, a few of the lights were still on. Furrowing his brow, Bull collected his drink and followed the path of lights to the mock court room; where he saw Marissa settled in front of the screens running some program. Bull froze and strongly considered hiding in his office until Marissa left. He wasn’t ready to confront her yet, and it could only have been his distracted brain that had prevented him from knowing that she was really the only person who would be here so late. 

“Bull?” Shit, he’d taken too long to make a decision and she’d spotted him. Pasting a smile on his face, Bull sauntered over to the desk she was working at and perched himself on the edge. 

“Young lady, isn’t it past your bed time?” He joked, peering at her over his glasses. “What are you doing here so late?” He added with a little more seriousness, glancing at the screens. 

“Computer update that I wanted to get done before work tomorrow,” Marissa answered vaguely, eyeing him. “What are you doing here? What happened with Diana?” She half sang Diana’s name, teasing as if he had a middle school crush. 

“Broke up. You know we have people lower in the food chain that can do this kind of thing.” He indicated to the screens, “you don’t have to be here all the time, running yourself ragged.” 

“You saying I look ragged?” Marissa latched onto, tilting her head at him. Bull gaped at her, unable to respond to their normal banter in a way that didn’t seem as though he was exposing the feelings he’d recently uncovered. Taking some pity on him, Marissa changed the topic. “And you broke up with Diana?” She placed a gentle hand on his forearm and gave it a squeeze, “what happened?” 

“Actually, she broke up with me.” He remarked offhandedly, distracted by the warmth of Marissa’s hand through the fabric of his shirt and the tingles shooting up his arm. Honestly, how had he never realized she made him feel like this, his denial had to have been bullet proof. 

“Oh, Jason… I’m sorry. It wasn’t because of the case was it?” 

“What? Oh no, there’s someone else.” Bull shook his head absently and stood up, not ready to divulge anything else. 

“Someone else.” Marissa ground out, her temper flaring dangerously. Half of her was prepared to go and find Ms. Diana Lindsay right then and give that woman what was coming to her… the other half, well it wanted to make sure Bull was okay. 

“Yeah. Do you need to be here to monitor the whole system update? Or does it run itself after a certain point?” He questioned, too lost in his own thoughts to notice the fire in Marissa’s eyes. 

“What? No, I… once it gets past the initial stages of the update it should be smooth sailing. And Jason, is there anything I can do?” She softly added, standing and closing the distance between them. 

“Yes, you can go home and get some sleep—you do too much, and I don’t want you to burn out. I, on the other hand, and going to stay here and drink.” Bull replied, already gathering up Marissa’s belongings and stashing them in her purse. 

“Jason, I can stay. You don’t have,” Marissa began, trailing after him as he grabbed her things. She wanted to state that he didn’t have to be alone… that she wanted to be there for him, with him. But Bull was already ushering her towards the elevators and pressing the button. 

“Have a good night, Mariss. I’ll see you in the morning.” 

Marissa pressed her lips together and tilted her head at Bull sympathetically. Before he could back her into the arriving elevator though she pulled him into a hug. Her arms wrapping around his neck, even if she had to stand on her toes a bit to make it work, she tried to convey in that hug that she was there for him. Bull started, but quickly enveloped Marissa in return, relishing at the contact and pressing his nose into her hair. Their embrace was interrupted by the ding of the elevator, announcing that it had arrived. Bull disengaged first, slowly pulling away from Marissa. He needed to figure out what he was going to do… if they were going to remain just friends, he wouldn’t be able to continue with this physical closeness they’d developed over the years. He nodded at Marissa and gave her a small smile before turning and walking back to his office. 

Marissa watched him walk away, rubbing the back of his neck and she knew what she was going to do. With a renewed purpose she stepped into the elevator and jabbed the button for the bottom floor. The entire ride down she fumed, Bull had been a mess, unable to focus and he couldn’t seem to get rid of her fast enough. He’d appeared lost and confused, and there was someone else?! She’d go and give Diana Lindsay a piece of her mind. 

~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Marissa knocked forcefully on the door, not caring that it was almost midnight by the time she’d arrived at the hotel. 

Diana opened the door, confusion washing over her features when she realized who was on the other side. Countless questions flew through her mind, the most prominent one being what the woman was doing at her door so late, the other being “how did you find me?” Marissa simply huffed and gave the woman a once over before pushing past Diana and into the room. “By all means” Diana quipped, swinging the door shut behind her. 

“You cheated on him.” Marissa announced once the door was closed, turning to face Diana, her eyes flashing. 

“What?!” Diana froze in place. She’d been unsure of where this conversation was going to go, but it certainly wasn’t this direction. 

“Bull told me you ended it. Said there was someone else. What is wrong with you?” Marissa accused, pacing slightly. “How could you let someone like Jason go? He is generous, kind, empathetic, confident with this charisma that just draws you in and brilliant—crazy making, yes, I’ll give you that, but he is an incredible man. So, I ask you again, what is wrong with you? How could you hurt him like that?” As she concluded her rant, Marissa pinned Diana with a fierce glare, fully prepared to go to battle for her best friend. 

Diana didn’t miss how Marissa had switched to using Bull’s first name in the middle of her rant, how the woman’s expression, though twisted with anger, still managed to soften as she described the man. How Marissa was here in the middle of the night, having obviously already seen Bull and spoken with him (Jesus did these TAC people ever sleep?) to come and confront her about hurting him. Christ, Marissa loved him too. How could she have been so blind… but looking at it more closely how could THEY be so blind? Diana shook her head, she should cut herself some slack and push more of the blame on the two idiots who somehow never realized they loved one another. 

“He said I cheated on him?” Diana tried to clarify, because while she wanted to help Bull be in the relationship he was supposed to be in, she sure as hell wasn’t going to play the villain so that Marissa could help him tend his fictitious wounds. 

“Not in so many words. Said you broke up with him. When I asked why he said it was because there was someone else.” Marissa supplied, losing some of the steel in her voice at Diana’s nonplussed reaction. 

“Oh, that much is true sugar. But it wasn’t on my end, there’s someone else on his.” Diana scoffed, so Bull had run into Marissa, barely described the situation and then likely pushed Marissa away because he still wasn’t ready to face his feelings—resulting in this late-night intrusion in her hotel room. 

“Jason would never cheat.” Marissa vehemently defended him, chin tipping up in defiance as some of the anger seeped back into her voice. 

“I never said he did. Lord, you two are some of the densest smart people I’ve ever met.” Diana griped, scrubbing a hand over her face, it really was too late for her to be trying to play match maker. At Marissa’s apparent confusion though, Diana decided a direct approach was best and continued. “Want to know why we broke up? Because I made some distasteful comment about the case—that might have mentioned you, and Bull went off. He wouldn’t hear a single bad word against you, said if there was even a chance at the two of us having a relationship I had better damn well respect you because you are his best friend and partner and you are incredibly important to him. Now I’m just paraphrasing, he speech was a little more impressive with a lot more emotion. But it made me realize, and after some prodding Jason too, that he was in love with someone else… you.” Diana watched the other woman carefully, and as the meaning of her last words sunk in, Marissa dropped into the desk chair and looked at the floor. 

“He loves me?” She breathed, bring her gaze back to up Diana’s, eyes filled with hope, excitement and a little hesitation. And Diana had to resist the urge to shake Marissa, because of course the man loved her. 

“And you love him.” Diana stated instead of answering Marissa’s question, once more watching the woman’s reaction. 

A smile broke across the blonde’s face and she looked up at Diana once more. “Yes. Yes, I do.” She managed, her smile still growing. 

“Wonderful,” Diana drawled in response to Marissa’s revelation. “Now you know he loves you, you love him. Go talk to each other instead of me.” She stepped forward and took Marissa’s upper arm to help her up and guide her to the door. It’d already been a long night and all she wanted was to sleep and not think about the happy couple she’d just helped unite. 

As Diana was about to close the door, Marissa turned suddenly and carefully caught it before it shut. “Thank you.” She said, pointedly making eye contact with Diana, because it couldn’t have been easy to push the man she cared about into another woman’s arms. “Truly.” Marissa hoped Diana could hear the sincerity in her voice, because she wasn’t sure she’d ever be able to repay the woman for what she’d done. Diana simply gave Marissa a close-lipped smile and curtly nodded her head before shutting the door. 

~~~~~~~~ 

Marissa found her way back to her apartment, while she knew she could find Bull at the office, she needed to process everything that had happened in the past few hours before seeing him again. Slowly, she hung up her coat and made her way to the bedroom. As she got ready for bed, thoughts swirled around in her mind. _‘Was Diana right? Did Jason love her? She knew she loved him, had for some time now, though she’d buried those feelings long ago. But if Jason had come to the realization that he loved her, why not say something when they spoke at the office? Was he unsure if she felt the same, didn’t want to rock the boat?’_

Sighing, Marissa ran her hands through her hair and made a decision. She’d go into work extra early tomorrow and talk to him. She didn’t think she’d be able to go an entire day and pretend that she didn’t know that her feelings were reciprocated. Happy with her choice, Marissa rolled over and tried to fall asleep. 

~~~~~~~ 

The elevator doors slide open and Marissa walked into TAC, glad to see that she was the first one there (aside from Jason who was likely still in his office). Heart pounding, Marissa put her belongings in her office, grabbed some coffee for both of them and marched up to his office. 

“Jason?” She called, easing the door open. Surprisingly, he was already up and dressed, reviewing files at his desk. 

“Marissa!” He stood abruptly, knocking some papers to the floor. “You’re here early.” He managed as he bent down to pick up the scattered documents. 

Chuckling, Marissa set down the coffee and crouched to assist Bull. “I wanted to talk to you about something.” She held out the papers she’d picked up to Jason, the corners of her lips lifting slightly. 

“Oh?” Bull took the papers and cleared his throat, he still hadn’t decided how to go about addressing these feelings for Marissa. It was one thing to admit them to Diana, but quite another to reveal them to the woman who’d been one of the few constants in his life. He didn’t want to jeopardize their friendship, wasn’t sure how he would get through everyday if things didn’t work out and Marissa left. 

Standing he placed the files back on his desk and realized that when Marissa had stood, she hadn’t increased the distance between them. In fact, her proximity was making it difficult for him to concentrate, his eyes flicking to her lips. 

“Yes, actually it’s pretty important. I went and talked to Diana last night.” She informed him, and Bull paled, his eyes going wide as he took a small, involuntary step back. Had Diana told Marissa how he felt? It appeared so, why else would Marissa be here so early wanting to discuss something important. It didn’t seem as though she was distraught by the news though, if she had been she would’ve kept her distance… right? 

“Oh?” He repeated, subtly wiping his palms on his pants. “Why is that?” 

“Well, I initially went over to rip her a new one. No one gets to hurt you and get away with it.” At Bull’s baffled expression, Marissa elaborated. “You mentioned that she broke up with you because there was someone else. I assumed that meant that she cheated on you… and I wasn’t going to let that slide.” 

Bull’s eyes widened even further, “Mariss, that wasn’t what I” he began to explain, imagining the kind of interaction that could have taken place between the two women. 

At this Marissa gave a bit of a sheepish grin. “Oh, I know…now. Diana corrected me, don’t worry. But she did have some interesting observations that she shared with me.” Marissa cocked her head at him and closed the space between them a little further. 

“Did she now,” Bull mumbled, his pulse speeding up. Marissa hummed and stepped even closer, biting her lower lip as she did. Swallowing, Bull struggled to keep his hands at his sides, fighting the instinct to let them pull Marissa close and kiss her. “What, what kind of observations were these?” He questioned, as Marissa inched even closer. 

Marissa didn’t bother responding, his reactions to her was proof enough to back up what Diana had told her. Smiling, Marissa reached up and ran her hand along Bull’s jaw, before sliding it into his hair and pulling him down for a kiss. Bull was frozen for a moment, shocked that he didn’t have to worry about losing Marissa, shocked that she felt the same. Then as Marissa began to break the kiss he reacted. Hands flying to tug her closer to him, one burying itself in her hair the other splayed firmly on her back. His lips moved over hers, tilting his head to deepen the kiss further. Marissa gasped slightly at his response, and Bull took advantage and slipped his tongue into her mouth, letting it dance with hers as they clung to one another. When they finally broke, Bull rested his forehead against Marissa’s. 

“Well that was…” He attempted, unable to come up with words that accurately described the incredible sensations running through him following the kiss. Marissa hummed in response and pulled him in for another kiss, they had some time before everyone else arrived after all.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> How Bull came up with Marissa's nickname. Potential spoilers for Marissa's past in 2x03 
> 
> (Loved how he shortened her name, but it wasn't the usual nickname for Marissa, so I decided to make up a reason for it).

It had become their routine. Marissa couldn’t pinpoint when it had gone from them discussing who’s place they would stay at every now and then to the automatic assumption being that Jason was staying at her apartment each weekend. It was different from previous relationships Marissa had had, in those they’d take turns, spending about an equal amount of time at one another’s places. She didn’t mind this dynamic though, and while it was unspoken, she thought they spent so much time at her apartment because Jason preferred it. His place was minimalist in design and if she was honest… a little impersonal. So here they were again, standing in her kitchen on Sunday morning making pancakes together. His voice cutting through her musings to bring her back to the present. 

“Hey Riss, can you hand me the blueberries? I want to add them to the next batch.” Jason glanced over his shoulder from his place at the stove in time to see Marissa stiffen where she was making coffee. 

“Please don’t call me that.” She replied, quietly but firmly; locking eyes with him to ensure that he knew she was serious as she handed him the berries. 

Jason was taken aback, it was a common nickname, but the pain that had flashed in Marissa’s eyes had him nodding, kissing her forehead and turning back to the stove with the fruit—not pressing the issue further, not wanting to unintentionally hurt her again. 

Chewing on her lip, Marissa gazed at Jason’s back for a moment, twisting her fingers. She regretted her reaction, he was just trying to be sweet, use a pet name. But she hadn’t let anyone call her that in over 30 years and though she was certain she was falling for the man in front of her, she simply couldn’t make an exception on this…even for him. 

Still, she owed him an explanation. He was different from the other men she’d dated, he might understand. From what she had gleaned about his past so far, his childhood hadn’t exactly been idyllic either. 

Taking a deep breath, Marissa plunged ahead before her courage could desert her. “I just,” she began, but couldn’t continue, the words catching in her throat. Jason pivoted slightly to look at her and it really shouldn’t be this difficult to tell him, she thinks, frustratedly spearing her hands through her hair, furious at herself for being unable to open up. It all happened so long ago, the story shouldn’t be sticking in her throat and choking her anymore. And Jason, Jason simply waited, with those patient and warm eyes and it’s his understanding expression that prompts her to continue. 

“That’s what my birth mother used to call me.” She managed, before a shudder swept through her shoulders and down her spine as the memories came flooding back. The dirty, almost bare apartment, the hunger, finding the woman who was supposed to take care of her passed out in her own vomit in one room or another time and again. How when Marissa was about to be adopted the woman reappeared and somehow convinced the court to let her have custody once more. How she had grinned through her ruined teeth and pulled Marissa into an involuntary hug and whispered, _“my Riss, we’re a family again, Riss. A family.”_

Jason’s hand on her forearm yanked her out of her dark memories and though Marissa reluctantly lifted her eyes to meet his, what she saw there had her believing that for the first time she’d met someone who understood. Truly understood, wasn’t just being sympathetic, but knew from just that one sentence all the baggage that accompanied it and it was okay, because he had his baggage too. He didn’t think any less of her, if anything his eyes shone with something she might label as admiration. A wavering smile made its way to her lips and Jason dropped the spatula, pulled her into a tight embrace and gently stroked her hair. 

At this, a feeling of acceptance washed over her. And it was more than she had ever hoped for. Without uttering a single word, Jason had understood her past, accepted it and didn’t let it change how he saw her now. They stood in this silent embrace until Marissa caught a whiff of smoke. 

“You’re burning breakfast,” she mumbled into his chest, slowly releasing the t-shirt fabric she’d bunched in her hands. 

“Shit!” Bull spun back to the stove and snatched the pan off the burner, waving a dish towel to try and dispel the smoke. “Well, this is past saving.” He announced, dumping the charred remains of several pancakes into the trash. “Can you hand me another egg for a new batch, Blondie?” He questioned, a smirk playing about his lips. 

Marissa simply quirked an eyebrow at him, because Blondie, really? But the comment steals a smile from her anyway and that was likely his intention to begin with. Jason chuckled in return and takes the egg from her, “no? Hmm, I’ll keep working on it.” 

Marissa hummed in response, placing a cup of coffee next to him and standing on her toes to give him a peck on the check before setting the table. 

They’d finished eating and Marissa was rinsing off the dishes in the sink when Jason came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her, resting his chin on her head. “Wanna go play chess in the park later today, Mariss?” 

She could hear the more important question in his statement, and she leaned more heavily into him. The warm smile that spread across her face was answer enough, but she nodded and dropped the forks into the sink, turning in his arms. Marissa slipped her arms around his neck, “what time were you thinking… Jay?” She bit her lip nervously, unsure how he’d react to her own attempt at a nickname. 

Jason’s lips curled up slowly to match hers, and he tightened his arms around her waist. “11? That way we can get a good spot, play a few games and then get a late lunch. That okay?” 

“Yeah,” she kissed him sweetly. “That is perfect.”


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Super short. Just fluff. Established relationship.

“Mariss? Marissa?” Bull’s voice and the gentle shaking of her shoulder woke Marissa up. Groggily, she partially rolled so that her upper body at least was facing him. 

“What, Jason?” She grumbled, already falling back asleep. 

“Do you think we’ve ever drank milk from the same cow twice?” 

“You’re an idiot.” She moaned, half-heartedly hitting him and moving to roll back to her previous sleeping position. 

Bull caught her arm though and gently tugged, forcing her to roll over completely and face him. “But I’m **your** idiot,” he grinned and pulled her into his chest, making sure to tangle his legs with hers. 

“Damn right.” Marissa mumbled, pressing a close-lipped kiss to his throat before nuzzling closer and taking one of his hands, interlacing their fingers and cradling them to her chest. “Now go to sleep babe.” She instructed, barely reaching the end of her sentence before dozing off. 

Bull grinned tiredly and tightened his hold on her. He’d always been more of a night owl than Marissa, he sometimes found it hard to shut his brain off. Thankfully she indulged his antics more often than not. Softly kissing the top of her head, he settled in closer to her and focused on her deep even breathes, letting his mind clear and allowing the soothing rhythm to lull him to sleep.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> saw a prompt on pinterest about an OTP going laser tagging together

Bull claimed it was another team building exercise. Something to increase productivity and cohesion at work. Marissa knew better. He just wanted to go laser tagging and needed an excuse to be there as an adult. 

Though Marissa was slightly reluctant about the idea, she couldn’t help the warm smile that spread across her face as they strapped on the plastic chest plate sensors. The others were joking and playfully pointing their guns at one another. Cable was complaining that Danny would have an unfair advantage with her FBI training, while Chunk and Benny were just glad it wasn’t something like skydiving again. Truthfully, their team didn’t need any ‘exercises’ to increase cohesion or whatever else Bull came up with to write this off as a company expense. They were a well-oiled machine, one that Marissa took immense pride in, and she knew Bull did too. 

As if conjured by her thoughts, Bull returned from paying for their session, sauntering towards the team and swinging his gun. “Alright team, it’s gonna be a tough one in there. We’re up against some hardened professionals… 10 year-olds at a birthday party. And they’ve already had the cake,” he dropped his head in faux dismay at the fact that the kids had the advantage of a sugar-high to aid them. 

Marissa smirked and playfully rolled her eyes at Bull when he looked her way; he winked in return. Their attention was caught by the employee who entered to review the rules and allow them into the ‘arena’. “You have 30 minutes, remember no running, no—” the employee droned on in a bored voice, before opening the door and ushering them inside. 

The team had somehow immediately been separated from one another and despite the fact that they were the only adults in there, Marissa soon couldn’t find anyone. While initially Marissa had balked at the idea of laser tagging, as she went around she had to admit that she was enjoying herself. Especially when she bumped into Bull as they both rounded the same corner. 

“Ahh, there you are!” Bull grinned, grasping her elbow to steady her after they’d collided. “I haven’t seen anyone in about 5 minutes.” 

Marissa raised her eyebrows, “no one at all? From either team for 5 minutes?” 

“That’s right…” He replied, a little hesitantly, cocking his head at her. At his response, Marissa pressed forward and backed Bull into the wall behind him. She stood on her toes to capture his lips in a brief but intense kiss, Bull’s hands automatically flew to her hips. 

She pulled back and lightly ran her fingers along his jaw, before giving him a wicked grin and shooting him. Bull’s chest plate lit up red, indicating that he was out for the next 15 seconds. Astonished, Bull simply gaped at her. Laughing, Marissa spun on one foot and walked away, putting a little extra sway in her hips. Because she knew that while Bull was stunned motionless, he was certainly watching her leave. 

Not much later the buzzer went off, marking the end of the session and telling everyone to return their gear. As they lined up, Bull made sure that he ended up behind Marissa. “You’re going to pay for that,” he bent to whisper in her ear, gently tugging on the end of her pony tail. He glanced around before sliding his other hand onto her hip, several fingers slipping under the hem of her shirt to brush the skin underneath. 

“Promises, promises.” She murmured, turning her head just enough for him to see the smirk on her lips and the challenge in her eyes. Bull huffed lightly and leaned in to reply when they were interrupted. 

“So where are we going to eat?” Cable’s voice brought the two back to the present. Marissa blinked, trying to come up with some legitimate excuse to bail on lunch with the team. 

Bull cut in as he handed his and Marissa’s equipment to the employee behind the desk. “You know, there’s actually something I need to do. And I need Marissa’s help. So, we can’t make it to lunch, but feel free to go and have fun.” He nodded at the team, interlaced his fingers with Marissa’s and not so discreetly pulled her towards the door. 

“Erm, yes, sorry. Can’t be avoided, something for a case.” Marissa attempted to add some detail to the absurdly thin excuse Bull had provided, while allowing herself to be lead from the building and to the car. 

Once outside, Bull pressed her against the side of the car and kissed her hotly before abruptly breaking the kiss and rounding the car to get into the driver’s side. Marissa remained where she stood for a moment longer, stunned by the kiss; she quickly regained herself though and climbed in the car as well. Bull smiled crookedly at her as she buckled up, he then threw the car into gear and began to drive. Marissa felt her lips curve up to match Bull’s, laser tag had certainly turned out to be far better than she’d anticipated.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Established relationship. More fluff. "I think we should head home."

It was another late night at TAC, Bull and Marissa had retired to his office to review files after the rest of the team had left. He was situated on the couch but hadn’t looked at the file in his hands for at least a solid five minutes. Instead, Bull was gazing at Marissa where she sat on the floor, leaning against the couch, papers spread out around her as she twirled a pen in one hand as she read. 

Deciding that they’d done enough work for one night he reached out and ran his fingers through her hair gently, before casually commenting, “the floor is lava.” 

Marissa froze for a moment, before slowly raising her head and staring ahead, her expression blank. 

“Mariss,” Bull murmured, still playing with her blonde locks, “I said-” 

“I know what you said.” Marissa huffed in annoyance and rolled her eyes, though she leveraged herself up onto the couch. “I hate you,” she added as she settled in, “I finally had everything organized right where I needed it.” She glared at him out of the corner of her eye and leaned forward to grab several of the papers off the floor. 

Her movement was interrupted, however, by Bull reaching over and pulling her legs so that they were draped over his lap. “Jason…” she began, cocking an eyebrow at him in warning. 

“What?” He replied with feigned innocence, as he pulled her heels off and dropped them on the floor. “I just can’t understand how you wear these every day, that’s all.” He chuckled and started to massage one foot, pressing his thumbs firmly into the arch. An involuntary sigh escaped Marissa as she leaned back against the arm rest and closed her eyes—though she’d long ago found comfortable heels she wasn’t about to turn down a foot massage. 

When he moved on to her other foot Marissa cracked an eyelid and grinned when she found him simply watching her, the softest expression on his face. She carefully extracted her foot from his grasp and scooted closer to him, her hand coming up to cup his cheek and steal a quick kiss. 

Bull reached up gently and removed her glasses before placed them on the side table. “I think,” he kissed her softly, “that we should call it a night.” He kissed her again for good measure. 

Marissa hummed in response and leaned in for yet another short kiss. “That so?” 

“Yep. I think we should head home.” 

“I agree, but there is one problem.” She mumbled against his lips. 

“And what would that be?” He tilted his head slightly. 

“Well you see, the floor…. It’s lava.” She whispered conspiratorially. “I don’t see how we can get out in one piece.” 

“Ahh, I see your concern. But I think I have a plan, listen closely.” His eyes gleamed with mischief and he leaned in closer. 

~~~~~~~~~~~ 

_**Next morning**_

Cable and Danny exited the elevators on their level and stopped abruptly. 

“Why are there papers all over the floor?” Cable furrowed her brows and glanced at Danny. 

The investigator shrugged her shoulders but followed the papers further into the office. “They’re, they’re in a line.” Danny indicated, looking at Cable over her shoulder. 

“But that doesn’t make sense,” Cable stated, though she could see the pattern too. Curious the two continued to follow the trail to Bull’s office, which was dark and empty. 

“This is weird. It just stops at the couch. There’s no other mess, no sign of a struggle… but where are Bull and Marissa? They’re always here before us.” Danny began to look around the rest of the office, but aside from the line of papers strewn across the floor, nothing was out of place or missing. 

Before they could investigate further, the elevator dinged to announce a new arrival. Cable and Danny stole a look at each other and rushed to the main hallway just in time to see Bull and Marissa exit, holding hands and laughing. 

“Told you.” Danny muttered smugly, glancing at the younger woman. 

“Shut up.” Cable grumbled, though she knew she owed Danny $20 for accurately guessing their bosses were already in a relationship. 

“Good morning ladies,” Bull greeted, not relinquishing Marissa’s hand. “You’re here early.” 

“Or not. You’re late.” There was no heat or accusation in Danny’s voice, only an observation… and the slight twitch of her eyebrow to indicate that she’d noticed their interlinked hands. 

Marissa checked her watch then, “oh, she’s right. Well we did work late last night, guess we were just catching up on some sleep.” She shrugged nonchalantly and bent to pick up a few of the papers on the ground. 

“Yeah…anyway,” Cable eyed her superiors suspiciously. “Why are there papers everywhere?” 

“Not everywhere, dear Cable.” Bull corrected her, as he moved ahead and began picking up papers as well. “Just a path of them.” 

“And why would you need a path….” The hacker inquired, not entirely sure what kind of explanation she was about to get. 

Marissa glanced at Bull and then stated matter-of-factly, “well the floor was lava. It was the only logical choice. And given we had finite resources, a single path seemed the most efficient way to safety.” Marissa nodded at them and continued to follow Bull stooping to grab papers here and there, leaving the two of them stunned in place by the elevators. 

“It really was efficient, wasn’t it?” They could hear Bull gloat from where he and Marissa had stopped by his office door. 

“Well if someone hadn’t stated that the floor was lava in the first place we could have had an even quicker and more efficient exit…. but given the circumstances…yes it was a good plan Jason.” Marissa teased, handing him the pile of forms she’d collected. 

Bull barked out a laugh before dropping a chaste kiss on Marissa’s lips and heading into his office. Marissa simply shook her head in amusement and went about turning on the equipment. 

“What, what just happened?” Danny questioned, turning towards Cable. 

“I don’t know, but they’re waaayyy dorkier than I thought. Adorable, but dorky.” The younger woman chuckled as she pictured Bull and Marissa hopping from one piece of paper to another, giggling and trying to keep their balance as they made their way through the office. Cable entered the main area again, her eyes following Marissa who was going through her routine as if nothing had changed. “So, do we just ignore the fact that they’re a couple, or….” 

“Guess so, just let ‘em be. Except, you still owe me 20 bucks.” Danny grinned, holding out her hand. 

“Yeah, yeah.” Cable griped under her breath, though she couldn’t say she was too upset about losing this particular bet.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some of Bull's inner thoughts during late season 2.

Bull glanced at Marissa and she flashed a mischievous grin at him, her eyes shining with amusement. And it was another one of those moments where he wanted to pull her into a kiss and never let her go. 

But Marissa was kind, and she was lightness, and she was good. She was so good, and he could not ruin one more good thing. He refused to drag her down this dark, narrow and twisting path that he seemed to be traveling on no matter how he turned. She’d already had an addict for a birth mother…she shouldn’t have to have someone who was dancing on that line as a boss and friend as well; let alone a boyfriend. 

So no, he wouldn’t give in and kiss her. Because then it might become a habit, and he knew better than anyone how hard it was for him to break habits.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> AU Marissa actually quits, no heart attack. Two months after she leaves.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I'm late for this, I had this half written for a while. Enjoy!

Marissa found herself in Central Park on Saturday again, at their old chess table. She didn’t know why she kept coming every weekend. He hadn’t shown up since she left TAC. Hadn’t responded to phone calls, texts or emails, had even been busy each time she’d gotten lunch or drinks with the team since she’d quit. And the team was being tight lipped about his absence. 

She knew there would be an adjustment period. Time to get used to her replacement and a new team dynamic. But she hadn’t expected the radio silence. The abrupt severing of any and all communication between herself and the man she’d thought was her best friend for the past seven years. 

Maybe that was why she clung to this small part of their friendship. Because even when everything was falling apart around them, even during their worst fights…they’d always met at the park for a game of chess. And no matter how pissed, they’d each arrive, bitter and mumbling but they’d be there and for a couple of hours they’d shed the anger, play the game and enjoy each other’s company. Normally it was this ritual that had them putting aside their pride and mending whatever temporary rift had formed between them. 

Marissa never imagined that they would be in a place where even that had been abandoned. Never imagined that Bull would cut her out of his life simply because she was trying to find hers again. Sighing, she knocked over a piece on the board and stood, slinging her bag over her shoulder. Fifteen minutes had gone by since she’d arrived, and she could tell people were annoyed she was at a table and not using it. She began to walk away when she heard it. 

“Marissa, wait, please.” It was quiet, tentative and when she turned to find the source a small, hesitant grin met her; his hands stuffed into his pockets. 

Though she’d missed him desperately, had come to the park each week just for the possibility of seeing him again, now that he was here she found she wanted nothing to do with him. Not on his terms, not after months of him pointedly ignoring her efforts to reach out. She scoffed, arched a brow at him and then strode away. Bull’s feet slapped the pavement quickly to catch up before falling into step beside her. 

“No.” 

“I haven’t even said anything yet,” and by his soft tone Marissa knew her clipped response had hit home. 

She rounded on him, eyes flashing, “exactly.” She only just managed to not jab him in the chest with a finger by clutching her purse straps. “You haven’t said anything for months. Two months. Not since I left TAC. I thought, I thought we were closer than that, meant more….” Her voice lost its edge towards the end, but she steeled herself once more upon realizing it. “Well, now it’s your turn to experience the silence.” Marissa nodded decisively and stalked away once more. 

“I was getting help.” He murmured, and it stopped her mid-step. Bull, encouraged, approached her once more and stood in front of her. “I took what you said to heart, after you bailed me out of jail that morning. And then you leaving, well,” he rubbed the back of his neck, eyes wandering the park and refusing to meet hers. “Let’s just say that it became so clear that I either had to fix it, fix me, or lose the best thing to ever happen to me.” 

“Jason, I—” she began, intending to say he didn’t need fixing, but he kept talking, cutting her off. 

“So, I took two months off after your last day. Couldn’t really face the idea of going to work and you not being there…” he cleared his throat and then finally returned his gaze to her. “Went to a resort, it had a uh, a program that I needed. No electronics. But I spent time on the beach, didn’t drink a drop, slept in a bed every night for the recommended 8 hours, ate better. Got my head on straight, been keeping it straight. And I feel better. I am better. I forgot how it felt to be this way, healthy…closer to happy. And it helped me understand your letter on another level.” 

Bull took a deep breath and continued. “I spiraled. And I was taking you with me and you are such an amazing woman and friend that you stuck with me. Tried to grab hold and dig your heels into the ground to pull me back up. But it wasn’t enough. I had to want to stop the spiral too and at the time I wasn’t ready. Didn’t want to acknowledge it. And then our conversation and your letter. I—” his words fell off and he broke their eye contact once more. 

“I couldn’t stand watching you self-destruct anymore.” Marissa murmured, tears glazing her vision as she reached out and gently touched his arm. “No matter what I did, nothing helped or made a difference. I just, it reminded me too much of someone else I’d once been dependent on who’d chosen…who’d chosen other things over me. And I, I made a decision long ago to never depend on someone like that again. But there I was, somewhat unwillingly, codependent on you.” A brief smile touched her lips and she squeezed his forearm. “I didn’t think I had the strength to see you, to have you fully make that choice—of other things over me. So, I walked away first, hoping it would hurt less.” Her mouth tugged to the side, eyes shining. “It didn’t.” She added quietly, almost to herself. 

Though she hated comparing Jason to her birth mother, knew the situation wasn’t the same…she’d had enough therapy sessions by this point to know she’d made the connections whether she wanted to or not and they couldn’t be ignored. 

Bull closed his eyes tightly and he clutched her hand at her admission. “I cannot even begin to tell you how sorry I am for everything. I learned quite a bit during my…vacation. And a step in my program is apologizing. Though I’ve written one down to you multiple times, and it’s been pages long, I just. It never seems enough or says what I want it to.” 

“Jason, you don’t—” 

“But I do.” He looked down at her with tender eyes before taking her hand and leading her to an open bench, keeping her hand in his as they sat. “We did become codependent on one another, didn’t we?” And Marissa chuckled ruefully and nodded. “And at first, it was healthy, it was supportive and good and made us both happy. There was this give and take that just worked so well. _We_ worked so well.” He smiled gently at her before continuing. 

“But then, then I started to take advantage. Not, not intentionally. But I’d come to expect you to be that safety net and so I constantly threw myself off any cliff knowing you’d be there to catch me and set things right if they’d somehow gone wrong during the free fall.” Bull sighed deeply and his grip on her tightened slightly. “It was unfair of me. It was wrong, and I am so sorry. Sorry that I ever made you feel as though I could pick alcohol or ‘other things’ over you. Sorry that I took advantage of your friendship, kindness and generosity.” He paused, knowing the next part would hurt and heal at the same time. “I’m sorry I was so wrapped up in myself that I couldn’t see what happened with Kyle.” Marissa swallowed and ducked her head, Kyle still a painful topic whether she showed it or not. But he’d abandoned her in her time of need and he had to apologize for that. “I wish I had been there to support you, to help you, to punch him in the face for daring to hurt you. Sorry that I ever pushed you so far away that you thought you couldn’t come to me when he betrayed you. Pushed you away so much that you had to leave a job I know you loved in order to be yourself again. I am sorry for everything.” 

“It’s alri—” she began, chin wobbling. 

Jason gazed at her, “please, let me finish.” Marissa pressed her lips together and nodded. “I once told Izzy that you push people away when expect more than they can give. And I did that to you. I expected far too much for far too long, asked for more than you could give. And still you gave. Because you are a compassionate and wonderful woman. And it wasn’t until I had whittled you down to the core that you decided it was enough. I should never have done that, and I cannot take back how much I hurt you. But I can apologize and would like to try and make up for it. If you’d let me.” He peered at her anxiously over the top of his glasses as he finished, and her heart melted. 

She lurched forward and hugged him hard. Bull sighed in relief and returned the embrace in kind. Marissa hadn’t needed the apology—though it was deeply appreciated. What she’d needed was the old Jason back. The one that inspired her and took her breath away. The one that supported her. The one that didn’t use alcohol as a crutch and defense mechanism against the world. The Jason that she’d fallen for all those years ago… and here he was sitting next to her. 

“God, I missed you.” She murmured in his ear, a hand coming up to grip the hairs at the base of his neck. He didn’t respond beyond tightening his hold on her and pressing his face into her neck. They remained there for some time, Marissa only broke the hug when she felt his tears on her neck. This, more than anything else, pushed the tears she’d been holding back over her eyelids. She pulled back slightly and cupped his face, brushing away the tears and straightening his glasses. 

“Hey now,” she tried to tease, but it came out a little watery. “No need for tears.” Bull huffed and lifted a hand to wipe some of her tears away and raised a brow at her. “Okay, okay, maybe just a few.” She conceded, chuckling before hugging him once more. 

When they release one another minutes later, Bull began to play with his hands in his lap. And Marissa almost laughed, because after everything he’d just said to her, what could he possibly be nervous about? Marissa reached over and covered his hands with hers, “out with it, Jay.” She prodded gently, “I know you want to say something else. Don’t hold back on me now.” 

Bull smirked slightly and flipped his hand over to encompass hers. “Would you, would you consider coming back to work at TAC?” He peeked at her out of the corner of his eye, still fidgeting but not nearly as much. 

She exhaled sharply, because yes, yes, she very much wanted to work at TAC again. Her current position, while interesting, wasn’t nearly as fulfilling. And she missed the team dearly. But she’d left for a reason. 

Had she really addressed her own demons enough that she wouldn’t get sucked back into that negative cycle of working too much and not practicing self-care? To buy herself some time, Marissa answered with a question of her own. “Wouldn’t me coming back mean you have fire the person who filled my position?” 

Bull laughed then, a full laugh, and it brought a smile to Marissa’s face—she hadn’t heard that laugh in a while. “Mariss, I never hired anyone. How could I replace you?” And his tender expression prevented her from mentioning that it was poor business practice to not have found a replacement. 

Then it dawned on her, “you left the team unsupervised for **two** months?!” 

“They are adults,” he continued to chuckle, though it was more contained. 

Marissa simply quirked an eyebrow at him. Because while she knew everyone on the team was very proficient at their job and technically an adult, that didn’t mean she and Jason hadn’t played the role of team parent on multiple occasions. That didn’t mean she trusted TAC to function properly without _some_ kind of oversight. 

Bull sobered a little, as he recalled why he felt it was okay to leave the team without himself or someone in Marissa’s position. “We didn’t take on anything new, during those two months.” He admitted, “I knew, I knew I wouldn’t be around and without you to be my right hand…I just didn’t think it would be possible to do business as normal. So, I had the team do more prep, research and investigation for the Mason and Stevens cases. Those trials are due to start in two weeks or so and we’re rock steady. Except we’re missing the most important part of the team.” He made eye contact with her and Marissa could feel how easily she could be drawn in once more, how much she _wanted_ to be drawn in. 

But some things had to change before she accepted. And one of those was bottling up how she felt about Jason. She’d hidden it for years, successfully, but she’d discovered in therapy that part of the reason she’d lost herself was because she hadn’t been truthful about how she felt and what she wanted. It’d started out only with her feelings towards Jason. But that coping mechanism soon was applied to other aspects of her life. And she began to bury other parts of herself to avoid addressing them. 

Marissa swallowed, she hadn’t been prepared for this. She’d imagined their reunion countless times since they’d last spoken, and in each scenario, she’d confessed her feelings and Bull had reciprocated. But now, now this was real and there was certainly a possibility that he wouldn’t return the sentiments. 

She carefully extracted her hand from his grip, unable to think clearly with his hand comfortably engulfing hers. “Before I accept,” she held up her newly freed hand when Bull’s face lit up, a smiling blooming across his face at her statement. “ _Before_ , I need to say some things. And it might take me moment to do that.” She managed a weak smile, her nerves not allowing for anything more confident. The grin slipped from Bull’s face somewhat, but he nodded seriously and gazed at her intently. 

Inhaling deeply, Marissa started with the easiest aspect. “I’m not working until 8 or later every night. I know there will be special cases and I’ll absolutely make exceptions. But, I need more regular hours. To have a self outside of work, I need to not be at work all the time.” She shrugged a little. 

“Of course.” He immediately agreed and placed a tentative hand on her knee. “I’ve actually made a few rules about that for everyone. Myself included.” At Marissa’s inquisitive look, he elaborated. “I’m being more conscientious about mental health and everything that goes into it. Need to take better care for myself and the people I care most about.” 

She gave him a one-sided smile and, unable to help herself, covered his hand with hers once more. But that had been the easy part. Marissa turned her gaze towards the rest of the park, watching people glide by—each one caught up in their own world. Bull patiently waited for her to continue, though she could feel his eyes on her. Eventually, she shifted to face him. 

“You might,” she trailed off, courage fading. But Jason smiled at her softly and nodded in encouragement, so she continued. “You might not be so agreeable to this next part.” Bull’s brow furrowed, but he remained silent, knowing that interrupting or making premature promises wouldn’t help. “For some time now, I—” and she scoffed, tipping her head back to look up at the sky before spitting out the rest. “I have been keeping something buried. I’ve been lying to you.” 

Bull started at this, and stared at her with wide eyes, but still kept quiet. Marissa gnawed her lower lip, dropping her head to once more look at the park. Torn between playing this off as a joke and simply going back to her job at TAC, leaving everything as it was or finally admitting her feelings. 

He nudged her foot gently when she didn’t say anything. “Don’t hold back on me now,” he quietly parroted her words from earlier. When she met his eyes again all she saw there was kindness, patience and support. Marissa knew then, that even if he didn’t care for her in the same way, that he would still want her to work at TAC, still want to be her friend. And that feeling of safety, more than anything, motivated her to confess. 

“I, I am in love with you, Jason. And I have been for a long time.” She’d lowered her gaze when the words finally left her lips. Unable to witness any facial expressions he might have in reaction to her statement. “I never told you because I value our friendship more than anything and did not think you felt the same. But if nothing else came out of therapy, I’ve learned that I cannot ignore how I feel simply because it is more convenient. So, I had to tell you. Before I accepted to rejoin TAC, I had to tell you. And if you don’t feel the same I understand and respect—” Bull’s hand squeezing her knee again cut her off and brought her eyes up to meet his. What she saw stunned her. 

Jason had the biggest smile she’d ever seen on his face. “Marissa,” he paused, and the smile grew a little more. “Were you not listening when I first started to apologize?” At Marissa’s perplexed face, he continued. “I said I had to get better, so I wouldn’t lose the best thing to ever happen to me.” He lifted a hand and cupped her cheek, “how could I have meant anything but you?” 

At her shuddering exhale, Bull grinned and leaned in closer. “I am in love with you too, Marissa Morgan. I was scared too, so I lied about it as well.” 

“You really, you really feel the same?” She whispered, feeling light-headed. Bull hummed and closed the distance between them even further. 

“I do.” He affirmed and brushed his lips against hers in experiment. The brief touch was electric, and she gasped softly before pulling him into a proper kiss. 

When they broke, Bull rested his forehead against hers and slid his hand into her hair. “So, does this mean you’ll come back to work?” 

Laughing, Marissa pressed her lips to his briefly. “Yes.” She murmured, then closed the distance between them once more. “But how do we, how does this work at work?” She questioned, indicating between them. 

“We go about work as usual. And if the team notices that I’m a little ‘clingy’ around you they’ll attribute it to the fact that you were gone. Or we can tell them right away or not at all. Separation of church and state and all. However, you want to do it,” he tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear. 

“Let’s keep it to ourselves, just for now.” Marissa quickly added the last piece, because while she didn’t want to hide their relationship, this development was so new that she wanted to figure them out before involving the rest of the team. 

Jason nodded and stood. “Sounds like a plan.” He held out a hand to Marissa, “would you like lunch mi’lady? I’m quite famished and we have a lot to catch up on.” Her responding smile was radiant, and she allowed Bull to pull her up and into him. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and kissed the top of her head. “How do burgers sound?” He asked, heading towards the park exit. 

Marissa slipped an arm around his waist and intertwined her free hand with the one he’d slung over her shoulders as they walked. “Perfect.”


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Caught under the Mistletoe

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it’s a tired trope, but I couldn’t help but write a short little story for them. Hope you had a good holiday!

Marissa was attempting to take down the holiday decorations around the office. She’d managed to get all of it, except one sprig of mistletoe. Chunk must have hung it, while using a step ladder—because she couldn’t reach it for the life of her. 

Muttering to herself, Marissa glanced around, trying to find someone tall enough to reach the offending decoration. But it was late, and most everyone had gone home. Sighing, Marissa almost resigned to having finish the next morning when someone walked by. 

“Jason!” She called out, quickly climbing off the step ladder to catch him. 

His head popped back into view. “Marissa? What’re you still doing here?” He came completely into view, approaching her. 

“I was trying to put away all of the holiday things. But that,” she pointed at the mistletoe, “has defeated me.” 

He laughed, “can’t quite reach it?” He teased, already climbing up onto the ladder and stretching out a hand to snag the plant. “Got it.” 

“Oh, my hero,” she intoned, holding the ladder steady as he stepped off. 

“My pleasure, mi’lady,” he peered at her over his glasses. “These are tricky plants and best even the most talented of individuals.” 

She attempted to smother a smile but didn’t quite succeed. “Do they now?” She quipped. 

Bull hummed and moved a little closer, not that there’d been much space between them to begin with. “They’re also tricky, in that, when two people are caught underneath it, they can’t move until they kiss.” His hand crept up, holding the sprig above their heads once more. 

“That so?” She murmured, eyes flicking to his lips. 

He didn’t bother to reply, his other hand coming up to land on her hip and pull her completely into him as his lips descended on hers. Marissa sighed softly and leaned into the kiss, her arms coming up to circle his neck and pull him closer. 

At some point he must have dropped the mistletoe because his other hand made its way into her hair as he tilted his head and deepened the kiss. When they broke apart they were both breathing a little heavily. 

“Jason—“ 

“Marissa—“ they both spoke at the same time and ducked their heads laughing. Marissa brought her gaze back to his, a one sided smile tugging her lips. 

“I guess Christmas miracles do happen.” He murmured, playing with her hair. 

“Jason, Christmas is over, it —“ 

“Shh,” he interrupted, stealing a kiss. “Doesn’t matter.” He kissed her again. “All I wanted for Christmas was you.” 

She groaned and let her head fall against his chest. “Holiday puns, really?” 

He grinned and intertwined their hands and led her to their offices to get their things. “Did you expect anything less?” He quirked a brow. 

Marissa pretended to think on it a moment, “no.” She eventually admitted, eyes twinkling, as they stepped into the elevator. 

“Good.” He leaned in for another kiss as the doors slid shut and whisked them out of the office.


End file.
